Trump Plays Politics With The Border Crisis

Republican and Democratic senators are very close to agreeing on a bill that could fix the border crisis, or at least give President Biden some tools to control the border -- and the President has said he would use those tools.

As a Liberal Democrat, I think what we really need is a full immigration bill. But I recognize that the border is currently a mess, and something must be done to restore order there. The negotiated compromise would probably do that.

The compromise gave Republicans most of what they wanted, and one would think it should easily pass with huge Republican support. But after whining about the border situation for months now, a lot of Republicans (especially in the House) are saying they will not support the Senate's compromise bill.

Why would they do that? Don't they want a stable and safe situation at the border? It turns out that for them politics is more important than the border crisis. 

Donald Trump has come out against the border deal. He told the congressional GOP that they should oppose the deal because it is not "perfect". Few bills passing Congress are perfect, but most actually improve what they are meant to improve. And that is the problem for Trump.

Trump's main campaign issue has been the border crisis, and he's afraid the compromise solution will actually fix the mess at the border. He would no longer be able to claim (untruthfully) Biden's is doing nothing to fix it. And he thinks his campaign would suffer.

It tells us a lot about Trump. He thinks his own shaky situation is more important than solving the nation's problems. 

I think he's making a big political mistake this time. If the problem at the border continues because this bill is not passed, then he must take the blame for that. It's no longer a winning issue for him.

The GOP Shows It Doesn't Really Want To Fix The Border

Ever since Biden got in the White House, the Republicans have been complaining about the number of immigrants at the border. They have called it an "invasion", and demanded that the President and Democrats join them is "fixing" the border.

Now it looks like they are getting most of what they have been demanding. Senate Democrats and Republicans have worked out a compromise bill - a bill that "would reduce the influx of migrants coming through Mexico by tightening asylum rules, add new agents for processing and make it easier to send people back who don’t meet the criteria for entry."

It's not perfect, but no bill ever is. Both progressives and right-wingers are unhappy with it, which means it's probably a good compromise. But most important, it would actually do something to fix the situation at our southern border. And it looks like there are enough Republicans and Democrats to pass the bill in the Senate.

The problem is the House of Representatives, where extremist right-wingers are in control. These are the very people crying the loudest for something to be done about the border, and not they are the people who are opposing the bill (and likely will defeat it).

Why would they kill a bill that would give them most of what they have been demanding? 

Because they would rather have it as a campaign issue than to actually fix it. 

They can't campaign on abortion. They are losing big on that issue. They can't campaign on cutting Social Security and keeping the minimum wage a poverty wage. Most voters don't like the GOP stance on this issues. The economy is getting better every day -- with GDP strong and inflation going down. By Election Day, the economy will likely be even stronger. And they can't legitimately campaign on the deficit and debt, because during the last GOP administration they added a trillion dollars to that debt by giving huge tax breaks to the rich and corporations.

That leaves immigration. But if they get a fix to immigration, that leaves them with nothing substantial to campaign on. They would no longer be able to scare the voting public with lies about the border. So they have decided they would rather keep immigration as an issue than to actually fix the problem.

This tells us a lot about the current Republican Party -- especially the firebrands in the House. They are not in office to fix problems. They are there to seize power, and to save their own jobs. They care more about themselves than the country.

Political Disagreements Should Not Make Us Enemies

Democracy is the best form of government. But it is also the messiest form of government. That's because it has as a requirement the concept of free speech. Proponents on the left and the right (and all points in between) have the right to speak and pursue their own concept of government and the issues that government should pursue.

This has actually worked very well in the United States. While the government has swung back and forth between the left and right, for the most part it has been pretty moderate. The different factions have debated and ultimately compromised for the good of the country. And while progress has been too slow for some, the country has made progress in extending rights and making life better for citizens.

But a sad thing is happening in our politics. Lately, many on the far right (led by Donald Trump) have begun to label their political opponents as enemies, and threatened to use government's power to punish them for their political beliefs. And sadly, some on the left have retaliated and are considering right-wingers as enemies.

Both sides are wrong. Political beliefs are not right or wrong, as arguments can be made for both sides. Political disagreements are necessary. They are the life blood of democracy. And those who disagree with your beliefs are not your enemy -- and they don't deserve any punishment for having those beliefs.

I believe most Americans would be better off if the government enacted liberal policies. Those on the right think conservative policies would be best. That does not make us enemies -- just patriotic Americans with a different view.

We need to relearn the art of debate and compromise. It has worked well for the country in the past. Demonizing political opponents as the enemy is dangerous to democracy, and just sets us on the road to tyranny. None of us should want that.

Voters Want A Speaker To Compromise - Say Johnson Won't

These charts reflect the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between October 28th and 31st of a nationwide sample of 1,333 registered voters, with a 2.9 point margin of error.

Public Wants Bipartisanship & Compromise From Government

 

The charts above are from the CNN / SSRS Poll -- done between October 4th and 9th of a nationwide sample of 1,255 adults, with a3.4 point margin of error.

The American people are disgusted with the way the federal government is acting right now. They want problems solved -- and they want both parties to act in a bipartisan way to compromise and solve those problems.

Most Want Politicians To Compromise To Avoid Shutdown

The charts above reflect the results of the new Monmouth University Poll -- done between September 19th and 24th of a nationwide sample of 814 adults, with a 4.3 point margin of error. 

Most People Want Politicians To Compromise

The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between June 17th and 20th of a nationwide sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,342 registered voters). The margin of error was 2.8 points for adults and 3 points for registered voters.

Americans Want Compromise - Don't Expect It To Happen

The charts above reflect the results of the NPR / PBS NewsHour / Marist Poll -- done between December 6th and 8th of a nationwide sample of 1,312 adults (including 1,189 registered voters). The margin of error is 3.5 points for adults and 3.7 points for registered voters.

Public Wants Politicians To Be Bipartisan And Compromise

 

The chart above reflects the result of a recent YouGov Poll -- done between June 21st and 29th of a nationwide sample of 1,000 adults, with a 3 point margin of error. Note that a majority of adults want to see bipartisanship and compromise -- Democrats (71%), Independents (57%), and Republicans (52%).

Public Sees Biden Trying To Compromise & GOP Refusing It

The charts above reflect the results of the new ABC News / Ipsos Poll -- done on April 30th and May 1st of a national sample of 513 adults, with a 4.7 point margin of error.

The public believes President Biden is doing what he can to compromise with congressional Republicans -- but don't believe those Republicans are doing enough to compromise with the president.

Voters Want Compromise - But Don't Expect The GOP To Do it

 The charts above reflect the results of a new Huffington Post / YouGov Poll -- done between December 17th and 20th of a national sample of 1,000 registered voters, with a 5.6 point margin of error.

It shows that the voters want Joe Biden and the congressional Republicans to compromise to get some things done for the good of the country. They think Biden will try to compromise with the Republicans by an 11 point margin. But they think the GOP will not compromise with Biden by a whopping 31 point margin,

They are probably right. So far, the Republicans have shown no desire to compromise at all.

Public Doesn't Expect Trump And Democrats To Cooperate

Americans voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in the congressional races -- with about 9 million more votes for Democrats than Republicans (53.2% for Democrats to 45.1% for Republicans). Knowing that a Republican will be in the White House until the next election, it is clear that the voters opted for a divided government.

Why? Part of it is that they just didn't like Trump or his agenda. Another part is the abject failure of congressional Republicans to rein in the worst of Trump's actions and rhetoric.

But the voters didn't elect the Democrats to encourage cooperation between Trump and Congress. They would like to see some compromise for the good of the country, but they don't expect it. Only 33% say Trump will cooperate with Democrats, and only 28% say Democrats will cooperate with Trump. Americans expect two years of gridlock, and evidently finds that preferable to allowing Trump to have free rein for two more years.

Things were much different back in 2006, when George W. Bush faced an influx of Democrats in Congress. Things were not quite so rabidly partisan then. About 52% said Bush would cooperate with Democrats and 48% said Democrats would cooperate with Bush.

The charts above reflect the results of a recent Gallup Poll -- done between November 13th and 18th of a national sample of 1,499 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

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From the Cook Report:

Republicans Like One-Party Control (No One Else Does)

This chart shows the results of a recent Gallup Poll -- done between September 4th and 12th of a national sample of 1,035 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

Our country has been well served in the past by both political parties having a say in government. Even when one party controlled both the presidency and Congress, the out-of-power party retained enough power to force some compromise for the good of the country.

It's not that way today. Currently the Republicans have a grip on power, and they have shown no willingness to compromise on anything. And that's the way their base likes it. A clear majority of Republicans (59%) say they prefer that only one party be in control of government. They don't like compromise, and don't want their leaders to have to do it.

That is not the view of the rest of America though. Only 36% of the general public, 30% of Democrats, and 26% of Independents say that it is good for only one party to control the national government.

Public Wants Congresspersons Who Will Compromise

The Republican Congress is proud of itself for passing tax reform and avoiding a government shutdown (at least for now). But while they may be proud of their performance, the American public is not. Only 12% of the population approves of the job Congress is doing -- and that includes all groups (including Republicans, whose approval rests at a dismal 25%).

The people know that much should have been done that wasn't -- things that would make life better for all Americans. They also know that a better tax reform plan could have been achieved. But what they've seen is a Congress that cannot peel itself away from party ideology -- a Congress that has no ability (or desire) to compromise for the good of the country.

Instead, they've seen Republicans try to totally shut Democrats out and refuse to compromise. Those Republicans think they can pass what they want ideologically, and it doesn't matter what the majority of Americans want.

But if they keep on that track, they are going to find themselves losing control of Congress next November (perhaps both houses). As the second chart shows, the public doesn't want a ideology forced on the country. They want elected official who can and will compromise to solve the nation's problems. That's the opinion of two-thirds of 66% of the public (and 68% of registered voters), while only about a third disagree.

And surprisingly, that is also the opinion of 58% of Republicans (along with 65% of Independents and 75% of Democrats). A significant majority of voters in all three political divisions want our elected officials to stop the fighting and compromise -- like Congress used to be able to do. The GOP's refusal to even consider compromise is making the public angry, and is likely helping to build a political wave that sweeps them out of power.

If they were smart, they would open the process up for debate and compromise. But I don't think they are very smart.

These charts are from a recent Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between December 17th and 19th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,291 registered voters). The margin of error is 3.1 points for adults and 2.8 points for registered voters.

A Majority Of Americans Want Congress To Compromise

According to this recent Gallup Poll (done between September 6th and 10th of a random national sample of 1,022 adults, with a 4 point margin of error), the American people are tired of the political infighting in Washington. They want both parties to compromise to solve the problems of the country -- the way they used to do before our politics became so partisan.

Americans Want Trump To Compromise With Democrats

Recently, Donald Trump sided with congressional Democrats to avoid a default and shutdown. The agreement raised the debt ceiling and continued government funding until December. He did it to avoid a clash with the "freedom caucus" (extreme right-wingers in the GOP), who wanted to attach all sorts of conditions to the bill.

Congressional Republicans (and their leaders) were shocked that Trump reached out to Democrats to avoid a messy fight in Congress. But the public was very happy with Trump reaching out to Democrats. A Rasmussen Poll showed that the general public, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans approved of Trump's action.

And the public wants to see more compromising done in Washington. The second chart shows that both genders, all age groups, and all races would like to see Trump continue to compromise with Democrats.

The first action was easy though. No one but the most extreme Republicans wanted a government shutdown or default. Trump is going to have to do some real compromising to get Democratic votes on tax cuts, the budget, and immigration though -- all areas he is now talking with Democratic leaders about. Democrats are not going to approve large tax cuts for the rich and corporations, not going to approve of huge budget cuts affecting ordinary Americans, and not going to support building a $20 billion wall.

I agree with the public that there should be more compromising to solve this nation's problems. But we should not be thinking that Trump is willing to give up his right-wing agenda (or is an Independent as some pundits have stupidly said). He remains a right-wing Republican, and I doubt he'll be willing to make any real compromises. For him (and his Republican cohorts), compromise is when the other side gives in. We must make sure Democrats stand fast for what is good for all Americans -- not just the rich and corporations.

The top chart is from a new Rasmussen Poll -- done on September 10th and 11th of a random national sample of 1,000 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.

The second chart is from a new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between September 10th and 12th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,313 registered voters), with a margin of error of 3.2 points.

Americans Overwhelmingly Want Congress To Compromise

The job approval for Congress is still extremely low, and it has been for several years now. The parties seem to think that it's low because they can't get all of their own ideological ideas passed, but they are wrong. The public wants the nation's problems solved, and they aren't particularly interested if those solutions are from the left or the right -- as long as they work.

The bottom chart shows why the public is so upset with Congress. While the parties seem bent on imposing their own ideas on the country, the public want them to work together and compromise to find rational solutions. Congress used to be able to compromise for the good of the country, and the public wants them to do it again! Two-thirds of the public wants compromise, while only one-third doesn't.

These charts are from the new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between September 3rd and 5th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,309 registered voters), with a 3 point margin of error.

Senator McCain Chastises The Senators Of Both Parties

(This photo of Senator McCain addressing the Senate last Tuesday is from azcentral.com.)

I am not a big fan of Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). His beliefs and policies are far too conservative for me. But upon his return to the Senate last Tuesday, he gave a very good speech (and even as a die-hard left-winger, I agreed with much of what he said).

In that speech, he chastised his fellow senators (of both political parties) for engaging in purely partisan politics and refusing to work together to find compromises that would benefit the people of this country. Here is most of that speech:

I’ve known and admired men and women in the Senate who played much more than a small role in our history, true statesmen, giants of American politics. They came from both parties, and from various backgrounds. Their ambitions were frequently in conflict. They held different views on the issues of the day. And they often had very serious disagreements about how best to serve the national interest.

But they knew that however sharp and heartfelt their disputes, however keen their ambitions, they had an obligation to work collaboratively to ensure the Senate discharged its constitutional responsibilities effectively. Our responsibilities are important, vitally important, to the continued success of our Republic. And our arcane rules and customs are deliberately intended to require broad cooperation to function well at all. The most revered members of this institution accepted the necessity of compromise in order to make incremental progress on solving America’s problems and to defend her from her adversaries.

That principled mindset, and the service of our predecessors who possessed it, come to mind when I hear the Senate referred to as the world’s greatest deliberative body. I’m not sure we can claim that distinction with a straight face today.

I’m sure it wasn’t always deserved in previous eras either. But I’m sure there have been times when it was, and I was privileged to witness some of those occasions.

Our deliberations today – not just our debates, but the exercise of all our responsibilities – authorizing government policies, appropriating the funds to implement them, exercising our advice and consent role – are often lively and interesting. They can be sincere and principled. But they are more partisan, more tribal more of the time than any other time I remember. Our deliberations can still be important and useful, but I think we’d all agree they haven’t been overburdened by greatness lately. And right now they aren’t producing much for the American people.

Both sides have let this happen. Let’s leave the history of who shot first to the historians. I suspect they’ll find we all conspired in our decline – either by deliberate actions or neglect. We’ve all played some role in it. Certainly I have. Sometimes, I’ve let my passion rule my reason. Sometimes, I made it harder to find common ground because of something harsh I said to a colleague. Sometimes, I wanted to win more for the sake of winning than to achieve a contested policy.

Incremental progress, compromises that each side criticize but also accept, just plain muddling through to chip away at problems and keep our enemies from doing their worst isn’t glamorous or exciting. It doesn’t feel like a political triumph. But it’s usually the most we can expect from our system of government, operating in a country as diverse and quarrelsome and free as ours. 

Considering the injustice and cruelties inflicted by autocratic governments, and how corruptible human nature can be, the problem solving our system does make possible, the fitful progress it produces, and the liberty and justice it preserves, is a magnificent achievement.

Our system doesn’t depend on our nobility. It accounts for our imperfections, and gives an order to our individual strivings that has helped make ours the most powerful and prosperous society on earth.  It is our responsibility to preserve that, even when it requires us to do something less satisfying than ‘winning.’ Even when we must give a little to get a little. Even when our efforts manage just three yards and a cloud of dust, while critics on both sides denounce us for timidity, for our failure to ‘triumph.’ 

I hope we can again rely on humility, on our need to cooperate, on our dependence on each other to learn how to trust each other again and by so doing better serve the people who elected us. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet. To hell with them. They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood.

Let’s trust each other. Let’s return to regular order. We’ve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. That’s an approach that’s been employed by both sides, mandating legislation from the top down, without any support from the other side, with all the parliamentary maneuvers that requires. . . .

What have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions? We’re not getting much done apart. I don’t think any of us feels very proud of our incapacity. Merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isn’t the most inspiring work. There’s greater satisfaction in respecting our differences, but not letting them prevent agreements that don’t require abandonment of core principles, agreements made in good faith that help improve lives and protect the American people.

The Senate is capable of that. We know that. We’ve seen it before. I’ve seen it happen many times. And the times when I was involved even in a modest way with working out a bipartisan response to a national problem or threat are the proudest moments of my career, and by far the most satisfying.

This place is important. The work we do is important. Our strange rules and seemingly eccentric practices that slow our proceedings and insist on our cooperation are important. Our founders envisioned the Senate as the more deliberative, careful body that operates at a greater distance than the other body from the public passions of the hour.

We are an important check on the powers of the Executive. Our consent is necessary for the President to appoint jurists and powerful government officials and in many respects to conduct foreign policy. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the President’s subordinates. We are his equal!

As his responsibilities are onerous, many and powerful, so are ours.  And we play a vital role in shaping and directing the judiciary, the military, and the cabinet, in planning and supporting foreign and domestic policies. Our success in meeting all these awesome constitutional obligations depends on cooperation among ourselves. 

The success of the Senate is important to the continued success of America. This country – this big, boisterous, brawling, intemperate, restless, striving, daring, beautiful, bountiful, brave, good and magnificent country – needs us to help it thrive. That responsibility is more important than any of our personal interests or political affiliations. . . .

What greater cause could we hope to serve than helping keep America the strong, aspiring, inspirational beacon of liberty and defender of the dignity of all human beings and their right to freedom and equal justice? That is the cause that binds us and is so much more powerful and worthy than the small differences that divide us.

Compromise Is NOT A Dirty Word

(This image was found at the University of Michigan's Center for Political Studies Blog.)

I am a progressive (liberal, leftist, etc.), and nothing would make me happier than for this country to adopt the views of progressives. I truly think that would make this a better country for all citizens.

Others are just as convinced that the ideas put forth by conservatives are what the country needs. They would like to see the country adopt only conservative views.

Neither of those things are going to happen -- no matter how much the true believers on both sides want it. There are not enough citizens on either the left or the right to impose their agenda on the country. That's because most Americans are neither liberal nor conservative. They are moderates, and while they believe some liberal things and some conservative things, they don't accept the whole agenda of either side of the political spectrum.

This moderation is expressed in our elections. When the public thinks one side is going too far, they put the other side back in power. This has happened many times in our history, and I'm sure it will continue to happen. This moderate majority wants progress and wants to country to prosper, but they also want change done in small steps so they can be sure we don't mess up what we have already accomplished. This frustrates those on both the left and the right, but it's just the way things are. This has always been a moderate country.

Unfortunately, too many of our politicians don't realize this. They seem to have an all or nothing attitude. For them, there is no middle ground -- it's either victory or defeat for their personal ideology. That has resulted in an extremely partisan government, where neither Republicans nor Democrats can give even a inch.

It hasn't always been this way. In the past, the two sides have respected each other -- and while they didn't agree, they were able to talk to each other and find a compromise to move the country forward. They didn't view each other as enemies, but just as opponents who had different ideas -- and they hammered out compromise solutions that allowed both sides to retain their values and beliefs. Neither side got everything they wanted, but both could claim at least partial victory.

That's the way things work in a democracy. Unfortunately, that's not how our democracy is currently working -- and it's why our federal government seems incapable of solving any of the nation's problems. They no longer understand this simple concept -- compromise is NOT a dirty word. It is how democracies work.

I believe that is why the public has such a low opinion of Congress. It's not because either the left or the right is unable to pass their agendas -- but because the two sides have lost the ability (and desire) to compromise for the good of the country.

Democracy is a messy form of government, but it is also the best. But we need to realize that the lifeblood of any democracy is compromise. Without compromise, democracy ceases to exist. Those of us on the left and the right need to understand that. That may be an uncomfortable truth, but it is the truth.

Don't Expect A Nonpartisan Government Anytime Soon

When President Obama was in office, the Republicans made it a point to oppose everything he tried to do -- and compromise on nothing. It was probably the most partisan period for our government in modern history.

Democrats remember that, and as this poll shows, they are in no mood for their congressional representatives to compromise with Donald Trump and his GOP cohorts. A substantial 57% majority of Democrats say their elected officials should stick to their beliefs, while only 15% say they should compromise.

On the other hand, Republicans are now touting compromise for the party out of power. I don't think they really mean compromise though, but simply want the Democrats to give in to their demands (since their elected officials have done nothing to reach out to Democrats with any compromise proposals).

Meanwhile, the general public is split right down the middle -- with 36% wanting Democrats to stick to their principles and 38% wanting them to compromise.

These numbers make it pretty clear that a partisan government along ideological lines is what we can expect for the foreseeable future.

The chart was made from information in a recent Gallup Poll -- done between March 9th and 29th of a random national sample of 1,526 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.